Cartridge-reloading machine



W. R. MCGEE.

CARTRIDGE RELOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 41 I920.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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43 INVENTORJ 55 War/Z Wfiee g ATTORNEY w R. McGEE. CARTRIDGE RELOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4. I920.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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iNVENTOR M/er/ A? 61 6 ATTORNEY UNHTE STAT-ES EQE.

WILBERT R. MGGEE, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

'GARTRIDG-E-RELOADI'NG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application .filed October 4, 1920. :Serial No. 414,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itlrnown that I, lVILBnR'r R. MGGEE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State .of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge-Reloading Machines, of which the following is a.

struction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, F gure 1 is a plan view of a cartridge reload ng machine embodying the present invention. Figs. 2, 3 and at are detailsectional views through 2-2, 33 and 4 4: of-Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the press member of the machine. Fig.

6 isa detail horizontal sectional view of a portion of the cartridge carrier and the lock- .ing block therefor the locking block .and

its housing being shown in plan. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially through 7-7 of Fig. .3. r

In carrying out the invention, I provide a frame member havlng a circular cyllndrlcal wall 10 and a top wall llupon which is mounted a wheel or carrier .12 rotatable about a post-element 13 of the frame. Adjacent to its circumference the carrier 12 is provided with a series of spaced holes 14 into which the cartridge'cases are carried in vertical positions in the operation of the machine. 15 representsa shaft-extending longitudinally throughsaid frame and in front ofthe latter is provided with an operatingcrank 16.

The shaft v15 has rigidly secured thereto an arm '17, .Figs. :3 .and 7 engageable with ratchet teeth 18 provided .in the underside of the carrier to impart intermittent rotary motion to the carrier in the directionindicated by arrow A, Fig. 1. r Also-secured upon-said. shaft is a sleeve 19 having a peripheral cam ridge 20 iengaging in a slot 21 of a chambered block :22 which is arranged to be reciprocated radially of the machine by such cam in a ,guideway 23 provided in the frame.

Formed or provided upon said block is a projection 24, Fig. 6, engageable in notches v25 provided in the carrier 12 whereby the latter is vreleasably secured in rotary positions suitable to accommodate the various functions of the machine. 26 .representsa piston provided with a stem 27 adapted when a cartridgeis .broughtjinto its 0 p0- sition,.Fig. :3, to engage thesame abovethe rim 28 at its closed end.

A spring 29 acting against piston 27 tends to retainthe stem 27 at its outermost position for engaging -.cartridges of small diameters and yielding .to accommodate those of larger-size. 1

As shown in Figs. :1 and 2 the frame is provided with-a receptacle 30 which is open at thetop and of a width equal to the diameter of the largest cartridge for which the machine is intended.

The outer side 31 of said receptacle inclines o'utwardlyas shown in Fig. 2. Within said receptacle is the arm '32 of a lever which'is fulcrumed at 33 and has its other arm 32 connected to a spring 34 tending to urge :the arm 32 inwardly with respect to themachine. The lever arm 32 is desirably of the angular'shape in which 'it is represented in Fig. 2 to furnish a-seat at 35 for a case elevator'36 which is guided for vertical movements by ribs, such as 37operating in wayssuch as 38 provided in the side walls of the receptacle. A lever fulcrumed to a stud 39 protruding froma hanger 10 withinthe machine frame has one of its arms 41 extended through a vertical slot 42 in the frame wall 10 into a slot provided in the elevator 36 and is operatively connected to the latter by a pin 4C3 secured to the elevator and passing through a slot provided in the lever arm.

The other arm 41 of this lever is connected to an extensible spring 14 which acts through themedium of the lever to raise the elevator for the purpose of hoisting a cartridge case into one ofthe carrier holesl.

The elevator is restored to the normal position in which-it is illustrated bymeans ofacam eta-mounted on the shaft 15.

The =elevatorjin being thus forced down bears against the leverarm :32 to cause the same to occupy the position in which it. is illustrated.

A cartridge case C placed upon the elevator 36 in the receptacle 30 will inthe upward travel of the elevator be swung by the lever arm 32 into vertical position to enable the case to be pushed into a hole 14 of the carrier. The form of the cam 45 is such that the elevator is not lowered from its highest position until in the progressive movement of the carrier the case is transferred thereby from the elevator to the top of the machine frame.

Included in the invention are devices for charging the cases successively with powder which will now be described with'reference to Figs. 1 and 4. 46 represents a tubular column extending upwardly from the machine frame and having secured to a bracket 47 thereof a hopper 48 through which powder is supplied by gravity to a pressure equalizing compartment 49 whence it is delivered successively into two bottomless measuring cups 50 and 50 I These cups are revolved in a cylindrical compartment 51 so as to be brought alternately in alinement with the outlets 49 and 51 of the respective compartments to convey measured quantities of powder from the compartl'nent 49 to a spout 52 whereby cartridge cases are successively supplied with powder charges when positioned below the spout as represented by C in Fig.4.

The cups 50, 50 are secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 53 having secured to its upper end a star-wheel 54 (Fig. 1) which is given intermittent rotary motion by a pinion 55 which is rotated continously during the operation of the machine. More particularly the pinion 55 is provided with two arcuate surfaces 56 which fit within corresponding recesses 57 in the periphery of the star-wheel. The pinion is also provided with radially disposed projections 58 which successively engage against the arms of the star-wheel to impart rotary motion thereto.

The pinion 55 is mounted on a stub shaft 59 which is driven by spur gears 60 from a shaft 61 extending through the column 46.

A shaft 62 connected tothe shaft 61 by bevel gears 63 and by bevel gears 64 to the operating shaft 15 serves to transmit motion to actuate the powder feeding devices explained above.

Subsequent to a case receiving its powder charge and when revolved in the carrier to a position denoted by G a projectile P is I manually inserted within the case.

i The next and final step in the reloading of cartridges is to force the projectiles down into the shells to predetermined distances. This operation is 'accomplishedby the press devices illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.

65 represents a crank arm secured to the rear end of shaft 15 and is operatively con nected by a pitman 66 with a slide block 67 mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion in guideways 68 provided in the upper part of a support 69 which is rigid with the machine frame. The slide block carries at its front side an attachment 70 having at its lower end a conoidal recess, denoted by dotted lines 71 in Fig. 3, to receive the pointed end of the projectile. In each rotation of the shaft 15 the crank 65 thereof effects a downward movement to the block 67 and its attachment 70 to thereby force a projectile into a case, this pressing action occurs while the carrier 12 is held stationary by the lock 24 and while the case itself is engaged by the spring pressed stem 27.

The attachment 70 itself is secured to a block 72 which is slidable vertically-ina slot 73 provided in the aforesaid slide block and is secured in adjusted position by a bolt 74 extending through a clamping plate 75 engageable against the back side of said slide block. The attachment is further secured against accidental displacement by means of a set screw 76 extending through a threaded hole in the slide block 67 to bear against the supplementary block 72.

To regulate the elevation to which the projectiles for any run of cartridges are to be brought, a standard cartridge placed in the carrier may be transported thereby into position occupied by cartridge C in Fig. 3 and desirably before powder is supplied to the hopper 48 therefor.

WVith the standard cartridge thus disposed and with slide block 67 in its lowest position the attachment 70 is independently lowered to seat upon the end of the projectile and secured as above explained.

v After the cartridges have been loaded they are conveyed by the carrier to a posi tion, as D, Fig. 1, whereat there is a recess denoted by dotted lines 78-in the frame and through which the cartridges drop from the carrier.

To adapt the machine to different sizes of cartridge, it is necessary to employ a carrier having holes of suitable size, regulate the projectile press and, if requisite substitute powder measuring cups of the proper capacity for those being used.

The construction and operation of the invention will e understood, it is thought, from the foregoing description. Various changes, however, may be made with re spect to the details of the hereinbefore'described embodiment without sacrificing advantages of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

that I claim is,

1. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, an operating shaft, and means actuated by the shaft for imparting intermittent rotary mo tion to said carrier, of a spring actuated caseelevator controlled by said shaft to automaticombination with a rotary case-carrier havcallysupply cartridge cases fto sai'd carrier between the successive impulses of the carrier,

tensioned means operated by said case :elevator for receiving the cases in an inclined position and shiftingsame'to a vertical position for reception in therotary case carrier, and devices actuated by the rotation of said shaft for releasably securing the carrier in positions to receive the cartridge cases.

2. In a cartridge reloading machine, the

ing a series of case-receiving openings, an

operating shaft, and devices-actuated by the rotation-of said shaft to impart intermittent rotary motion to said carrier, of means for inserting cartridge cases into the openings of said carrier between the successive movements 'of the latter,-said'means comprising a block guided for vertical movements, a lever operatively connected toysaid block, a cam mounted upon said shaft, a spring connected to said lever, said cam and spring acting alternately to effect the vertical reciprocation of said block and a tensioned lever engaged by said block cooperating with said block for shifting a case from an inclined position to a vertical position alined with the case receiving openings.

3. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier having a series of case-receiving openings, an

operating shaft, and devices actuated by the rotation of said shaft to impart intermittent rotary motion to said carrier, of means for inserting cartridge cases into the openings of said carrier between the successive movements of the latter, said means comprising a block guided for vertical movements, a lever operatively connected to said block, a spring connected to said lever for actuating the same to elevate said block, a cam mounted upon said shaft for influencing said lever to effect the lowering of said block in opposition to said spring and a tensioned lever engaged by said block cooperating with said block for shifting a case from an inclined position to a vertical position alined with the case receiving openings.

4:. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier having a series of case-receiving openings, an operating shaft, and devices actuated by the rotation of said shaft to impart intermittent rotary motion to said carrier, of means for inserting cartridge cases into the openings of said carrier between the successive move ments of the latter, said means comprising a block guided for vertical movements, a lever operatively connected to said block, a spring connected to said lever for actuating .the same to elevate said block, a cam mounted upon said shaft for influencing said lever to efi'ect the lowering of said block in opposition to said spring. and spring actuated means rendered operative by said block in the upward movements thereof for shifting revoluble measuring cups located betweensaid hopper and the spout, a shaft carrying said cups, a star wheel secured to the upper endof the shaft, a shaft driven by the operating shaft, a toothed pinion carried by the last named shaft in engagement with the star wheel, whereby the operating shaft is caused to impart intermittent revolving motion to said cups whereby charges of powder aredelivered to said cases between the successive movements of the carrier. I 7 V 6. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, an operating shaft, and connections between said shaft and the carrier for intermittently impelling the carrier by an uninterrupted rotation of the shaftduring the operation of the machine, of means for supplying powder into cartridge cases carried by said carrier, said means comprising a hopper, a spout, a pressure equalizing compartment intermediate said hopper and spout, revoluble measuring cups located between said compartments and the spout, a shaft carrying said cups, a star wheel secured to the upper end of the shaft, a shaft driven by the operating shaft, a toothed pinion carried by the last named shaft in engagement with the star wheel, whereby the operating shaft is caused to impart intermittent revolving motion to said cups whereby charges of powder are delivered to said cases between the successive movements of the carrier.

7. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, an operating shaft, and devices actuated by said shaft to impart intermittent rotary,

ward movements of the same while said carrier is motionless.

8. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, an operating shaft, means actuated by said shaft to impart intermittent rotary motion to the carrier, and means operative between the successive impulses of the carrier for pressing projectiles into cases carried by the carrier, of devices actuated by said shaft for releasably locking said carrier during the operation of the last named means and means carried by said devices for resiliently engaging the cartridge case between rotary movements of the carrier.

9. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, an operating shaft, means actuated by said shaft to impart intermittent rotary motion to the carrier, and means operative between the successive impulses of the carrier for pressing projectiles into cases carried by the carrier, of devices actuated by said shaft for positively releasably locking said carrier,

and yielding means carried by said devices for engaging the cases successively when in osition to have the projectiles forced therein through the instrumentality of the projectile pressing means. i

10. In a cartridge reloading machine, the combination with a rotary case-carrier, means for automatically feeding cases into said carrier, means to impart intermittent rotary motion to the carrier, means to press projectiles into the cases successively, means for resiliently engaging the cases when brought by the carrier into position below the projectile press means, and cam operated devices adapted to engage the carrier to hold the same against movement when a cartridge case receives a projectile.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 27th day of September 1920.

WILBERT R. MoGEE. 

